Exclusive Interview | Gaurav Parikh and Anuj Chugh, Co-Owners of Richboyz Hospitality

“The hospitality industry is one that is constantly evolving and innovating. It becomes important for us to be able to adapt to these current trends and create good experiences for our patrons.”

Tell us about your journey, how did it all start?

Our journey started with managing 2 hotspots in Mumbai - Bombay Adda (Bandra) & R-Adda (Juhu) in 2009. From there, our passion for hospitality and the F&B industry only increased which led to us launching restaurants and projects Pan-India in cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa and more cities in the coming future. We manage restaurants like Raeeth and Occo in Goa, Secret Story, Bhola and Blonde, Magique in Bangalore, All Saints and Keibaax AllSaints in Mumbai, Secret Story, Cocomaya, Bhola and Blonde in Chennai

What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

The hospitality industry is one that is constantly evolving and innovating. It becomes important for us to be able to adapt to these current trends and create good experiences for our patrons. It becomes equally crucial to asses and evaluate customers’ needs. While we are in the hospitality business, it is important for us to strive for the best and ensure customer satisfaction, at all fronts, décor, food, service and music.

Launching something new is both an exciting opportunity and responsibility, share with us a deep dive into your process for these new launches.

Kickstarting and launching a new product is an exciting opportunity. However, a lot of work needs to happen in the background for it to become successful. It starts with an inspiration or a concept, then we have to discuss the viability and keep customer interest in mind. The next step is to find an ideal location and ensure that it is easy for our consumers to reach. If the place is further from where we have in mind, we have to ensure that there is good connectivity. Once we have our location finalised, we narrow it down to curation of menu, operations, décor and hiring the staff. Even post the opening, we have to keep constant checks on the service and quality of food as there could be initial teething problems. If those are solved early on, the operations run smoothly and seamlessly.

What does the future look like? For the industry, you and your initiatives.

The hospitality industry has a bright future ahead. Consumers are looking to experiment and are open to newer experiences, cuisines and ingredients! We have to constantly reinvent and bring out novel experiences. Our long-term vision is to open restaurants in international destinations like London, Dubai ad Colombo.

What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?

The attributes and qualities we look for while hiring and selecting personnel are that they have to adapt to fast-paced environments, are curious, and are looking at newer ways to learn. We would prefer people who come with experience but are happy to train those who have the zeal and passion to grow in this burgeoning industry

Share some of your secrets in keeping an engaged, safe and happy team.

A positive and interactive atmosphere does wonders to keep the team engaged. We make it a point to take employee safety seriously and ensure that they are satisfied with their jobs. We conduct team-building exercises regularly and the policy at all our restaurants is to take our employee’s feedback as seriously as our customer’s. This keeps the team motivated and we allow them to have a voice at their workplace

Share with us some new learnings from this project for you, personally.

Creating a diverse menu is an attractive option as it helps us cater to different crowds, but it comes with its own set of logistical and procurement challenges. We also are finding new ways to reinvent ourselves during lean periods and off-season, but this phase helps us realise the strength and skill of our team.